Northern lights in Yukon tonight
Yukon, Canada · Kp 1 from Dawson City · 67° magnetic latitude
Kp 1 is at the threshold for Yukon. Aurora may be visible from a dark site if cloud cover permits.
7-day outlook for Yukon
Tonight shows the live Kp reading. The nights after it show the Kp expected from any coronal mass ejection DONKI predicts will arrive that day, and a quiet baseline of Kp 2 where no arrival is forecast.
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Yukon's threshold comes from Dawson City, at a magnetic latitude of approximately 67°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 1 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from Dawson City.
At Kp 1, visibility is possible from Yukon but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Yukon
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Midnight Dome viewpoint, Dawson City
Get directions ↗A panoramic hill above Dawson City with zero artificial light beyond the town below. Dawson City needs only Kp 1 - the lowest threshold in the territory - so a quiet, clear night here is often enough.
Dempster Highway corridor, north of Dawson City
Get directions ↗One of the most remote roads in North America, running north through open tundra with no settlement. Dawson City's Kp 1 threshold applies along this whole corridor.
Fish Lake Road corridor, Whitehorse
Get directions ↗A paved road into dark boreal forest a short drive from Whitehorse. Whitehorse needs Kp 2, a step above Dawson City, but this is the standard site for it.
Best time to see the northern lights in Yukon
Its threshold set by Dawson City at about 67°N magnetic latitude, Yukon has one of the longest aurora seasons in the world. Meaningful darkness returns in late August and displays are possible on almost any clear night from September through March. Only the endless daylight of May, June, and July rules out viewing completely.
Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at Yukon's latitude.
May through July is effectively impossible for aurora viewing: the midnight sun keeps the sky bright around the clock at this latitude. No storm level, not even G5, can produce a visible display without astronomical darkness.
Other Canada aurora forecasts
Up to 8 locations
Related pages
Northern Lights Canada
Canada-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Dawson City Tonight
Dawson City - Yukon gold rush town, Kp 1 threshold.
Read →Northern Lights Whitehorse Tonight
Whitehorse - Yukon capital, Kp 2 threshold.
Read →Northern Lights Northwest Territories
NWT-wide aurora hub, Yellowknife and beyond.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
How Kp determines aurora visibility across a single territory.
Read →Aurora photographs from Yukon
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Yukon
Aurora over Yukon
Aurora over Yukon
Aurora over Yukon
Aurora over Yukon
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